China not to back Pak on Kashmir

Beijing, December 19
China is expected to provide a liberal aid package of around $ 1.5 billion to its closest ally Pakistan tomorrow but may not support President Pervez Musharraf’s Kashmir agenda, diplomatic sources said here today.

“China’s stand on the Kashmir issue has not undergone any change,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said ahead of General Musharraf’s five-day state visit to China from tomorrow.

“We consistently advocate that a solution through peaceful dialogue should be found on questions left behind by history,” Ms Zhang said, while explaining the Chinese stand on the Kashmir issue.

Diplomatic sources say China has shed its earlier pro-Pakistan stance on the Kashmir issue and taken a more balanced view on it, stressing that the vexed issue should be resolved bilaterally.

New Delhi, December 19
The CBI will announce its decision on Thursday on Mohammad, one of the slain militants who was killed during the Parliament House attack, in the killing of Rupin Katyal, during the Kandhahar hijack.

The case was referred to the CBI by the Special Cell for verification, after Mohammad Afzal, chief coordinator of the Jaish-e-Mohammad in Delhi, who is in police custody, disclosed to officials of the Special Cell that Mohammad alias Burger, was the one who killed Rupin Kaytal, and was in command of the entire operation during the hijack.

Even before the post mortem of the five slain militants, Mohammad Afzal identified the bodies at the hospital. In fact, after the post mortem the bodies of the slain militants have been kept in the hospital’s mortuary for CBI’s identification. As the bodies were required to be identified within 72 hours of the post-mortem, the deadline for CBI ends on Thursday evening.

The case is with CBI’s Joint Director Sawani, who had filed the charge sheet when the hijacking took place. CBI sources said the CBI along with Central Forensic Sciences Laboratory (CSFL), are jointly working identify Mohammad.

As the DNA test in this case has been thoroughly ruled out and there is no other sample to match, the officials are now banking on the information available with the investigating agency about those involved in the hijack. Apart from these, the CBI will also examine the skull, height and colour of Mohammad.

The accomplices in the hijack case, Abdul Latif (from Bombay who arranged passports for the hijackers) and Yusuf Nepali, who are in jail, will also be called for identification.